Theodore Moulton Marston was a psychologist, lawyer, inventor, and self-help book and comic book creator from the United States. He was a polymath with many talents who excelled in various areas. Marston studied law and psychology, but his main area of interest was the nuanced character of human nature. Marston is credited with creating the first polygraph or lie-detector device. Marston created a device that correlated blood pressure with facts stated to determine whether they were true or untrue after learning that a person’s blood pressure rises when they lie. The polygraph initially took on this shape. The writing was another strength of Marston’s. Wonder Woman, a well-known comic book heroine, was made by him. Marston wrote the comic book series under the alias “Charles Moulton.” He thought that women were just as capable as men and supported feminism. This gave him the idea of a fictional character who was a strong, emancipated woman with all the traits of a woman. Marston’s wife and his polyamorous companion gave him the inspiration he needed to come up with “Wonder Woman.” People are still motivated by Marston’s writings and personalities years after his passing.
Early Childhood & Life
Frederick William Marston and Annie Dalton welcomed William Moulton Marston into the world on May 9, 1893, in the Cliftondale neighborhood of Saugus, Massachusetts. Little is known about his early years.
Marston graduated from “Phi Beta Kappa,” a distinction given to the best students in the US, after attending “Harvard University.” He earned a BA in 1915. Marston received his legal degree in 1918. He earned a Ph.D. in psychology in 1921. Marston briefly held positions as a lecturer at “Tufts University” in Massachusetts and “American University” in Washington. He relocated to California in 1929 and spent a year as the head of public services.
Career of William Moulton Marston
William Moulton Marston released his preliminary research on the polygraph in 1917. One of his early creations was the systolic blood pressure test. John Augustus Larson’s invention of the modern polygraph included this exam as a crucial element. Elizabeth Marston, Marston’s wife, was the first to postulate a link between feelings and blood pressure. Marston labored on this idea and created the systolic blood pressure test in the 1920s. The test determined how a person’s blood pressure would vary throughout an interrogation. One could determine if someone was lying or telling the truth based on the test’s results.
Systolic Blood Pressure, Symptoms of Deception, and Constituent Mental States, Marston’s doctoral dissertation for “Harvard University,” was released in 1921. Marston’s assistance was crucial in bringing Larson’s invention of the polygraph to market. He was more concerned as a psychologist with the psychological behavior of regular individuals than he was with abnormal psychological patterns.
Marston avidly participated in discussions with government organizations in the 1920s and 1930s. He advocated for the use of lie detector tests in courtroom proceedings. His work garnered a lot of media attention. Marston offered his skills to the Lindbergh family in the 1930s after the well-known Lindbergh kidnapping case.
William Moulton Marston’s psychology work, “Emotions of Normal People,” was released in 1928. The subject of the work was typical people’s behavioral patterns. The “DISC” hypothesis was developed by Marston based on his observations of human behavior. Dominance, inducement, submission, and obedience were all abbreviated as “DISC.” In the book, Marston claimed that two things affect a person’s emotional behavior: whether they believe they have control over their environment and how favorable or unfavorable they consider their environment to be. To evaluate the personality characteristics, Marston did not develop any models. Based on his theory, however, several tools were subsequently created. Marston’s “DISC” hypothesis has been used extensively to address management and leadership issues.
Together with Walter B. Pitkin, Marston wrote the book “The Art of Sound Pictures” in 1930. He co-authored ‘Integrative Psychology: A Study of Unit Response’ with his wife, Elizabeth Marston, and it was released in 1931. His first work, “Emotions of Normal People,” laid out the theories that were continued in this book. Marston placed a strong focus on using an objective strategy when addressing psychological issues in the book. He looked at how environmental cues affected people’s central nervous systems. The ‘DISC’ theory he advanced in his first work was further developed in this book.
Venus with Us: A Tale of the Caesar, a history-themed book written by Marston, was released in 1932. It was an old Rome-based tale. It focused on ‘Florencia,’ a virginal adolescent girl, and her affection for the protagonist, ‘Gaius Caesar,’ also known as ‘Julius Caesar. It was an erotic fantasy book that covered topics like submissiveness and control. The work was republished as “The Private Life of Julius Caesar” in 1953, following Marston’s passing. Marston also wrote several self-help works, including “March On! Facing Life with Courage,” “You Can Be Popular,” and “Try Living.” Marston also enjoyed watching movies and going to plays. He published a memoir titled “F.F. Proctor, Vaudeville Pioneer” in 1943. It dealt with Frederick Freeman Proctor, a well-known figure in the “Vaudeville” subgenre.
Theodore Moulton Marston was a fervent advocate for women. Marston found that women were more trustworthy and honest than males while developing his lie-detector test. The publisher of “DC Comics,” Maxwell Charles Gaines, extended an invitation to Marston in 1940 to join their advisory group. At the time, only masculine superheroes like “Superman” and “Batman” were published by “DC Comics.” Marston put forth the concept of a feminine superhero who would triumph through strength and love. As a result, “Wonder Woman,” one of the most well-known female heroines ever, was made. Marston wrote “Wonder Woman” under the alias “Charles Moulton.” Wonder Woman made her début in “All Star Comics #8” in December 1941. Still in circulation is the comic book series. The early tales in this comic book series displayed Marston’s themes of dominance and submission. ‘Wonder Woman’ was frequently restrained or bound down. Marston was the author of the tales, and Harry Peter was the illustrator. Marston worked nonstop on this comic invention for the final six years of his life.
Personal Legacy & Life
William Moulton Marston gained notoriety for leading a distinctive lifestyle. Elizabeth Marston, his wife, and Olive Byrne, his polyamorous companion, shared a home with him. They both had influential personalities and had an impact on the development of “Wonder Woman.”
Marston had four kids total—two with his wife and two with his companion. Olive remained at home to care for the children while Elizabeth worked to support the family financially. The film “Professor Marston and the Wonder Women” was based on Marston’s biography.
A few days before he turned 54, on May 2, 1947, Marston passed away from cancer. Elizabeth and Olive kept their home after he passed away. Marston was posthumously recognized by “DC Comics” in their 50th jubilee book, “Fifty Who Made DC Great,” published in 1985. Marston was admitted into the “Comic Book Hall of Fame” in 2006.
Estimated net worth
The estimated net worth of William Moulton Marston is about $1 million.
Trivia
Elizabeth Marston, Marston’s wife, is credited with coming up with the concept of a female superhero. Elizabeth responded, “Make her a woman,” in response to Marston’s suggestion of a superhero who would blend love and strength. Oliver Byrne is said to have influenced “Wonder Woman’s” look. Wonder Woman donned bulky bronze bracelets akin to Byrne’s jewelry.
Marston combined his middle name and Gaines’s middle name to make the fictitious name “Charles Moulton.” Not even females want to be girls as long as our feminine archetype lacks force, strength, and power, according to one of Marston’s most well-known quotations. “…to create a feminine character with all the strength of Superman plus all the allure of a good and beautiful woman,” he thought would be the answer to this problem.